The search for 20-year-old Derek Russell, the Coast Guardsman from the cutter Munro, who went missing on Barometer Mountain on Saturday ended tragically on Tuesday when his remains were found on the mountain.

The troopers report that Kodiak Island Search and Rescue and USCG searchers located what they believe to be Russell’s ice axe on the side of the mountain. The discovery of the ice axe led searchers to find slide marks below the axe. Russell’s remains were located about 1,000 feet lower on the mountain than his axe.

Friends of Russell said that he departed for the steep, 2452-foot mountain at about 10am on Saturday with only an ice axe. Personnel from Kodiak Island Search and Rescue saw someone at the summit of the steep mountain two hours later during the noon hour that day.

Russell wasn’t reported missing to the troopers until 6pm on Sunday and a search party was set to go by 9:30 pm Sunday evening. The Sunday night search continued until 3am Monday morning. Aerial search on Sunday night was hampered by foul weather and falling snow.

On Tuesday, search dogs were brought in from Anchorage on a C-130 and transported to the mountain by Coast Guard helicopter.

Derek Russell, from Hollis, Maine was serving on the cutter Munro.